Frequently Asked Questions

If you wish to request an item from the library catalog located at another branch, follow these steps to have it delivered to your library for pickup. You will be notified when it arrives at your library.

For materials in the Northwest Regional Library and Lake Agassiz Regional Library shared catalog:

1. After finding the item, click “Place Hold.”
2. If not already logged in, enter your library card barcode number and PIN, then click “Submit.”
3. Select the NWRL Branch library where you will pick up the materials, choose how you want to be notified, then click “Submit.”
4. You will receive a confirmation of your hold where you chose to be notified.

If you don’t see what you’re looking for in our catalog, you can request it from other libraries throughout Minnesota using MNLINK.

Items owned by Northwest Regional Library or Lake Agassiz Regional Library are automatically renewed twice for three weeks each unless there are holds on them. We cannot renew items requested through MNLINK without the permission of the owning library.

To renew Northwest Regional Library or Lake Agassiz Regional Library items before the automatic renewal date, contact your library or follow these steps:

• Click “My Account” on the Home page.
• Enter your library card number and PIN. Submit.
• Click on “Items currently checked out”.
• Check items to renew and click “Go”.

Note: A message will appear when an item cannot be renewed. You may contact any NWRL Branch library to learn why.

Library cards are required to borrow materials from the library and for the use of designated library services available in library buildings. If you live within our 5 counties you can apply for a free library card at any of our 10 locations or by using the online card application.

• Greenbush
• Grygla
  
• Hallock
• Karlstad
• Middle River
  
• Red Lake Falls
• Roseau
• Thief River Falls
• Warren
  
• Warroad

Patrons of other Minnesota library systems may create an account at any of our branches using the card from their home library. Residents of the cities of Clarkfield, Crosby, East Grand Forks, and Taylors Falls are not eligible for these accounts but may purchase a fee card.

Non-resident cards may be purchased for an annual fee of $30 for those residing outside the state of Minnesota.

If you forget your PIN, you may retrieve it one of two ways:

• The PIN can be sent to your email address by following these steps:
  • First, click on “Your Account” at the top of the navigation bar.
  • Next, click the link for “Forgot your password?” which will take you to the form “Request to reset your password.”
  • Continue to follow on-screen directions.
• Ask for assistance from your local librarian.

NWRL offers e-mail notifications when the material you requested are ready for pick-up. We also send out Courtesy Notices a few days before your items are due, along with overdue notices and bill notices.

Please make sure you allow messages coming from “evergreen@larl.org” in order to prevent our email messages going into your spam/junk folder.

There are two methods you can use to sign up for e-mail notifications.

• If you have access to your account online, you can enter an email address at the Account Preferences Update Email form. You will first be prompted to log into your account.
• Fill out our email opt-in form to request that an email address be added to your account.

SERVICE CHARGES FOR LATE, LOST AND/OR DAMAGED MATERIALS

• Late Fee: After 21 days overdue, a $2 late fee will be assessed on each item overdue.
  • If a patron is registered as Adult, Reciprocal, or Fee Card, the late fee will not be waived when an item is returned overdue.
  • If a patron is registered as Youth, Institutional, Homebound, Staff, or ILL Library, the late fee will be waived when an item is returned overdue.
• Processing Fee: After 21 days overdue, a $3 processing fee will be added to each item overdue.
  • This fee will be waived when the item is returned.
  • This fee will not be waived if an EXACT duplicate of the item lost is provided by the patron. (This EXACT duplicate must be in good condition.)
• Damaged Materials: Charges will be assessed to repair damaged materials at the discretion of the local librarian. Items not able to be replaced will incur the full replacement cost.

RETRIEVING OVERDUE MATERIALS

In accordance with Minnesota Statute #609.541, persons keeping library materials longer than sixty days after written notice has been given to return such items are guilty of a petty misdemeanor. NWRL agencies will notify overdue borrowers of the impact of this statute. Borrowers who continue to retain overdue materials may be taken to court when the total value of the materials exceeds $200.

DELINQUENT ACCOUNT FILE

If any charges of an individual total thirty dollars ($30.00) or more, his/her record will be considered delinquent. Charges will remain on the borrower’s record until cleared. Borrowing privileges and services at all NWRL libraries will be suspended when unpaid fees reach $30.00.

OTHER

Circulation records will be treated in a confidential manner. In accordance with Minnesota Statute #13.40, Subd. 2, private information contained in these records will not be released to anyone except upon issuance of a court order, or when assistance is requested by library personnel from local law enforcement authorities in recovering overdue material.

Adopted, Northwest Regional Library Board, June 20, 1996 
Amended, July 22, 2004 
Amended, January 21, 2010 
Amended, March 17, 2011 
Download the NWRL Overdue Material Policy

You can pay any fine over $2.00 online using the following: Discover, MasterCard, Visa, MasterCard Debit, and Visa Debit. Here is how to do so by logging in to your account:

• Select “My Account.”
• Enter barcode number from back of your library card and your PIN.
• Under “Account Summary” select “Pay Fines”, this will only appear when money is owed.
• Under “Fines” you can select what fines to pay. When you select “Pay Fines” it will take you to the payment page where you will fill out your billing information.
• Complete all required fields for billing and receipt purposes. (Billing address of credit card holder, Credit card number, Expiration date of credit card, and Credit card security code.)
• Click “Next”.
• A confirmation page will appear, print it to use as a receipt. A receipt will also be emailed.
• Click “OK” to continue.

Contact your local library. You may find your library’s contact information on the NWRL Locations page.

Our servers do not store credit card information. This information is transmitted to a secure 3rd-party payment processor, Stripe, immediately upon submitting.

The security code on a credit card is the three digit code printed on the signature panel on the back of your credit/debit card. We ask for it as added protection for you.

Online payments are credited to your library record immediately. Use your browser’s REFRESH button to see your payment reflected in your library record.